Digging tooth for earth-moving equipment



Dec. 20, 1966 R. LAUNDER ETAL 3,292,280

DIGGING TOOTH FOR EARTH-Movmu EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1963 57074429 4.140/1/052 fem/5 A lAU/VDE/ I INVENTORS 7 94 4rrae/1/Q 5 5 W 0/ W 8 W x 4 o 5 w 2 4 4 M 3 Dec. 20, 1966 R. L. LAUNDER ETAL 3,292,280

DIGGING TOOTH FOR EARTH-MOVING EQUIPMENT Filed Dec. 20, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 mam 00o NN um Av L/R A 5 W A V Z 477'02 NE Y5 United States Patent 3,292,280 DIGGING TOOTH FOR EARTH-MOVING EQUIPMENT Richard L. Launder and Ernie L. Launder, both of Whittier, Calif. (both H & L Tooth Company, P.O.

Box 330, Montebello, Calif. 90640) Filed Dec. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 332,067 4 Claims. (Cl. 37-142) This invention relates to digging teeth for earth-moving equipment, and included in the objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a digging tooth which is adapted for ready attachment to and detachment from a digging bucket, blade, or other digging device forming a part of an earth-moving machine, but which may be depended upon to withstand the extreme loads imposed in the course of digging operations.

Second, to provide a digging tooth which utilizes two relatively stifl, but slightly yieldable, tines or prongs at its root end which may be spread to grip one type of tooth holder therebetween, or forced toward eachother to fit within a socket of another type of tooth holder.

Third, to provide a digging tooth which may be driven into place or removed by hammer impact, and wherein one tooth may be employed as an aid in driving another tooth free.

Fourth, to provide a digging tooth and holder therefore wherein the tooth is provided with a pair of stiff tines or prongs tapering toward their extremities, except for lateral enlargements or knobs at their extreme ends, and wherein the holder is welded to the bucket or'blade of a digging or earth-moving machine and is provided with opposed cam surfaces terminating in locking recesses, so that the tines are forced by the cams to spread or constrict until the lateral enlargements engage in the locking recesses.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the digging tooth shown secured in one type of holder which in turn is shown welded to a bucket or blade of an earth-moving machine, the bucket or blade being indicated fragmentarily;

FIG. 2 is a top or plan view taken from 2-2' of FIG. 1, showing the tooth and its holder before attachment to the earth-moving machine;

FIG. 3 is a partial plan, partial sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1, illustrating particularly the manner in which the tooth is secured to its holder;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken through 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view similar to FIG. 1 showing the tooth mounted in a modified type of holder;

FIG. 6 is a partial plan, partial sectional view taken through 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken through 77 of FIG. 5.

The digging tooth includes a tooth body 1 having forwardly converging upper and lower surfaces as well as forwardly converging edges, terminating in a chisel-shaped point 2. Extending from the root end of the body 1 is a pair of coplanar tines or prongs 3.

In the regions of the root ends, the tines or prongs 3 have parallel confronting inner edges 4. Rearwardly beyond this region the tines 3 form rearwardly diverging edges 5. The tines 3 also have rearwardly converging outer edges 6. The edges 5 and 6 of each tine therefore converge and terminate in knobs 7 which extend laterally inward and outward from their respective tines.

The tooth is adapted to be retained in two types of 3,292,280 Patented Dec. 20, 1966 "ice holders, one being illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4. The holder 8 here illustrated is provided with rearwardly converging upper and lower surfaces 9 and 10, occupying the main portion of its length, and forwardly converging upper and lower surfaces 11 and 12 at the forward portion thereof.

The front end and lateral sides of the holder 8 are pro-,

vided respectively with a forward or cross channel 13 and side channels 14. The channels have upper and lower walls 15 and 16 which mate with the upper and lower surfaces of the tines 3, so that the channels form guide means which are essentially parallel with the lower surface of the holder 8 and are therefore in angular relation to the upper surface thereof.

The forward portions of the side channels 14 define parallel walls 17 which fit between the parallel inner edges 4 of the tines 3 at the root regions thereof. Beyond this portion the side channels 14 form cam surfaces 18 which diverge rearwardly to apices 19, and then converge to form rudimentary locking recesses 20. The rear portion of the holder 8 continues to taper beyond the recesses 20, as indicated by 21.

The digging tooth is formed of hardened steel alloy;

and although the tines 3 are relatively rigid, their rearward extremities in the region of the knobs 7 are capable of limited movement to and from each other. The normal spacing between the knobs 7 is slightly less than between the apices 19.

The tooth is assembled onto the holder 8 by guiding the tines 3 manually in the channels 13 and 14 until the knobs 7 are in contact with the cam surfaces 18; that is, when in the dotted line position shown in FIG. 3. The tooth is then hammer driven to the solid line position shown, causing the knobs 7 to pass beyond the apices 19 into the locking recesses 20. When this is accomplished, it will be seen that the parallel edges 4 are contiguous to the parallel walls 17 to withstand the lateral loads.

The upper and lower walls 15 and 16 of the holder 8 reinforce the tines 3 against loads perpendicular to the tooth body 1. The principal loads incurred in digging are ina rearward direction, and are readily transmitted to the holder 8 without appreciable loads being imposed on the knobs 7, so that under digging operations the tine 3 is similarly held in place until such time as the tooth has become worn and requires replacement.

In order to remove the tooth, the knobs 7 are struck with a ball peen hammer until the tooth is worked loose. Alternatively, another tooth, such as a worn tooth, may be placed with its knobs in engagement with the knobs 7, as shown by broken lines in FIG. 3, so that force may be applied essentially equally on both lateral sides of the tooth until the knobs 7 have passed over the apices 19; whereupon nominal further tapping on the tooth will effect its removal from the tooth holder.

The upper side of the tooth holder is relatively flat, and its margins are so arranged as to permit attachment to a blade or bucket A by means of welds B.

Reference is now directed to the modified tooth holder shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7. The holder 22 here illustrated is likewise provided with rearwardly converging upper and lower surfaces 23 and 24. But in this case, the holder 22 is provided with a central longitudinally extending slot 25 which is essentially parallel with the lower surface 24 of the holder 22. The sides of the holder may continue beyond the slot 25, forming projections 26.

The lateral sides of the slot 25 form rearwardly con' 3 locking recesses 29. In this case, the tines 3 are forced inwardly toward each other a slight distance to eflect locking engagement rather than outwardly as in the first described structure.

The rearwardly converging outer edges 6 of the tooth conform to the tapered cam walls 27, and in addition the upper and lower walls of the slot 25 and the upper and lower surfaces of the tines 3 may taper slightly so that a wedge-fit is provided between the tooth and its holder 22 in addition to the interlocking fit of the knobs 7 and the recesses 29.

When it is desired to remove the tooth, a chisel, wedge, or similar implement is inserted in the root region between the tines 3 so as to wedge the tooth forwardly and free of the holder 22. Alternatively, another tooth, such as worn tooth, may be inserted in the rear end of the tooth holder 22, as indicated by broken lines in FIG. 6, for the purpose of initiating removal of the tooth.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it is not intended to limit the same to the exact details of the constructions set forth, and it embraces such changes, modifications, and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a holder and a removable tooth, said holder having opposed relatively tapering walls and essentially parallel upper and lower walls bordering said tapered walls to form longitudinally extending guide ways open at their forward and rearward ends and having retension shoulders in said tapering walls at said rearward end, said tooth comprising:

(a) a flat body having a chisel-pointed end;

(b) and a pair of tines coplanar with each other and with said body and extending from the end thereof opposite from said chisel-pointed end;

(c) said tines being widest adjacent their attached ends and their confronting sides diverging toward their extended ends;

(d) said tines being laterally enlarged at their extended ends;

(e) said tines being capable of limited elastic deflection and dimensioned to be deflected as they are guided along the tapering walls of the holder until said lateral enlargements are forced over said shoulders for securing said tooth to said holder;

(f) the extremities of said tines being exposed for longi- I tudinal engagement when said tooth is secured to said holder, whereby said tooth may be driven free of said holder by longitudinal engagement with the extremities of said tines.

ing a slot with confronting guide ways, and said tines: deflect inwardly toward each other on movement of said enlargements past said shoulders.

4. A digging tooth and holdertherefor, comprising: (a) a holder including: a flat attachment face adapted to be welded to a digging implement; said holder. defining an essentially U-shaped channel extending across one end and along opposite sides thereof; (b) said channel defining a plane disposed in acute angular relation to said attachment face; the [base walls of the portions of said channel extending along opposite sides of said holder and being open at their,

forward and rearward ends, said base at first extending parallel then diverging from each other and terminating in shoulders at their rearward ends;

(c) and a tooth including: a flat body having a chisel? pointed extended end; and a pair of tines coplanar with each other and said body;

(d) said tines having parallel walls confronting the parallel portions of the base walls of said channels, diverging walls confronting the diverging portions of said base walls, and lateral protrusions fittings over and retained by said shoulders;

(e) said tines being elastically yieldable whereby said tooth may be driven into said holder and their extremities deflected by said base walls until said protrusions engage said shoulders;

. (f) the extremities of said tines being exposed for longitudinal engagement when said tooth is secured to said holder, whereby said tooth may be driven free of said holder by longitudinal engagement with the extremities of said tines.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,696,924 1/1929 Rorabeck 37--142 1 1,799,929 4/1931 Rauch 37-l42 2,052,521 8/1936 Stires 37-141 I 2,603,009 7/1952 Smith 37l42 2,996,816 8/1961 Launder 37142 3,225,468 12/1965 Benetti 37-19l ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM A. SMITH III, Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION OF A HOLDER AND A REMOVABLE TOOTH, SAID HOLDER HAVING OPPOSED RELATIVELY TAPERING WALLS AND ESSENTIALLY PARALLEL UPPER AND LOWER WALLS BORDERING SAID TAPERED WALLS TO FORM LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING GUIDE WAYS OPEN AT THEIR FORWARD AND REARWARD ENDS AND HAVING RETENSION SHOULDERS IN SAID TAPERING WALLS AT SAID REARWARD END, SAID TOOTH COMPRISING: (A) A FLAT BODY HAVING A CHISEL-POINTED END; (B) AND A PAIR OF TINES COPLANAR WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH SAID BODY AND EXTENDING FROM THE END THEREOF OPPOSITE FROM SAID CHISEL-POINTED END; (C) SAID TINES BEING WIDEST ADJACENT THEIR ATTACHED ENDS AND THEIR CONFRONTING SIDES DIVERGING TOWARD THEIR EXTENDING ENDS; (D) SAID TINES BEING LATERALLY ENLARGED AT THEIR EXTENDED ENDS; (E) SAID TINES BEING CAPABLE OF LIMITED ELASTIC DEFLECTION AND DIMENSIONED TO BE DEFLECTED AS THEY ARE GUIDED ALONG THE TAPERING WALLS OF THE HOLDER UNTIL SAID LATERAL ENLARGEMENTS ARE FORCED OVER SAID SHOULDERS FOR SECURING SAID TOOTH TO SAID HOLDER; (F) THE EXTREMITIES OF SAID TINES BEING EXPOSED FOR LONGITUDINAL ENGAGEMENT WHEN SAID TOOTH IS SECURED TO SAID HOLDER, WHEREBY SAID TOOTH MAY BE DRIVEN FREE OF SAID HOLDER BY LONGITUDINAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EXTREMITIES OF SAID TINES. 